Insurance companies want a 25 percent increase on Brunswick County homeowners insurance rates on or near the coast and 23.7 percent everywhere else.

The number increases to a 40 percent rate hike proposed for Brunswick County renters and condominium owners, according to numbers the North Carolina Rate Bureau proposed to the state’s Department of Insurance.

The public/private nonprofit partnership in charge of Brunswick County’s economic development has hired Bill Early to serve as the new executive director of Brunswick Business & Industry Development.

Brunswick County commissioners in July approved the partnership to serve as the county’s economic development organization, working with the Brunswick County Economic Development Foundation made up of representatives from local businesses including Duke Power, ATMC, Brunswick Electric Membership Corp., ECS Engineering, BB&T and Novant Health.

LELAND — The H2GO Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer District board’s three-member majority continued to work on taking back what the previous board gave away.

Board members Jeff Gerken, Trudy Trombley and Bill Beer met Dec. 7 at the H2GO office on Village Road where they approved an agreement with the law firm Crossley, McIntosh, Collier, Hanley & Edes P.L.L.C. to work on returning assets that were turned over to Belville by the former majority at the Nov. 28 board meeting, the last for H2GO chairman Bill Browning and secretary Carl Antos.

CAROLINA SHORES — Town commissioners have launched the process to recruit a replacement board member following the resignation of commissioner Mary Timothy at a Dec. 4 town workshop.

At their monthly meeting Thursday, Dec. 7, commissioners approved a resolution to start the search by getting out word among residents.

“The goal is to get people who actually are potential candidates,” said Mayor Joyce Dunn, who sought guidance from the University of North Carolina School of Government and North Carolina League of Municipalities.

Brunswick County commissioners agreed Dec. 4 to join an insurance pool for employee coverage in budget year 2019-20.

Commissioners adopted a resolution of intent to participate the North Carolina Health Insurance Pool (NCHIP) employee health insurance program, provided it is formed and meets the terms of the Local Government Risk Pool Act by May 31, 2018.

A group of about 40 people from all over Brunswick County show up Dec. 7 at Congressman David Rouzer’s office in Bolivia to protest the federal government’s proposed tax plan, which they believe will hurt the middle class and harm the environment. Among the protest participants are members of Stand Up Brunswick and the Brunswick Environmental Action Team.